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Extensor Muscle

2005-04-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

Any of the muscles that increase the angle between members of a limb, as by straightening the elbow or knee or bending the wrist or spine backward. The movement is usually directed backward, with the notable exception of the knee joint. In humans, certain muscles of the hand and foot are named for this function. In the hand these include the extensor carpi radialis brevis,

Gundobad

2005-04-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

The nephew of the barbarian emperor-maker Ricimer, Gundobad briefly held the supreme military command in the Roman service. In 473 he emulated his uncle when he himself placed a puppet, Glycerius, on the throne of Ravenna, but the subsequent deposition of Glycerius by Julius

Peralta, Pedro De

2005-04-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Peralta arrived in Mexico City during the winter of 1608–09 following his university studies in Spain. In March 1609 the viceroy of Mexico appointed him to the post of governor of New Mexico; and, from April to October of that year, Peralta organized an expedition to that province. He

Byzantine Chant

2005-04-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

Monophonic, or unison, liturgical chant of the Greek Orthodox church during the Byzantine Empire (330–1453) and down to the 16th century; in modern Greece the term refers to ecclesiastical music of any period. Although Byzantine music is linked with the spread of Christianity in Greek-speaking areas of the Eastern Roman Empire, it probably derives mostly from Hebrew and early

Popish Plot

2005-04-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

(1678), in English history, a totally fictitious but widely believed plot in which it was alleged that Jesuits were planning the assassination of King Charles II in order to bring his Roman Catholic brother, the Duke of York (afterward King James II), to the throne. The allegations were fabricated by Titus Oates (q.v.), a renegade Anglican clergyman who had feigned conversion

Ambergris

2005-04-01T05:13:00.000-08:00

A solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the sperm whale (Physeter catodon). In Eastern cultures ambergris is used for medicines and potions and as a spice; in the West it was used to stabilize the scent of fine perfumes. Ambergris floats and washes ashore most frequently on the coasts of China, Japan, Africa, and the Americas and on tropical islands such

Amphibian, Larval stage

2005-03-31T21:41:00.000-08:00

The amphibian larva represents a morphologically distinct stage between the embryo and adult. Most aquatic larvae depend on the environment for their food supply. Salamander and caecilian larvae remain more like their respective adults in structure, function, and nutritional requirements than do anuran larvae. Not long after emerging from their shells, larval

China, Period of division

2005-03-31T05:19:00.000-08:00

The most extensive modern account of the period of division is that found in the general history by Franke cited above, vol. 2, with copious notes in vol. 3; this is a traditional chronological history, which pays little attention to nonpolitical matters and absolutely none to modern historical writing on the period in Chinese and Japanese. Other works on this important period include Wolfram Eberhard, Das Toba-Reich Nordchinas: eine soziologische Untersuchung (1949), a Western-language study on the T'o-pa Wei—controversial and interesting but highly technical; W.J.F. Jenner, Memories of Loyang (1981), a political history of the Wei dynasty during the Pei-ch'ao (Northern Dynasties) period; Étienne Balazs, “Les Courants intellectuels en Chine au IIIe siècle de notre ère,” Études Asiatiques, vol. 2 (1948), the best Western-language study on the rise of “Neo-Taoism” and other schools of thought after the breakdown of the Han Empire; Henri Maspero, Taoism and Chinese Religion (1983; originally published in French, 1950), a collection of essays dealing mainly with T'ang dynasty Taoism, still the most important general survey of the Taoist religion of this period, written mainly in the 1930s and '40s by a great authority for the general public; Holmes Welch, Taoism: The Parting of the Way, rev. ed. (1965), a general history of the Taoist movement with about one-third of the book devoted to the development of Taoist religion in the Six Dynasties period; Michel Strickmann, Le Taoïsme du Mao Chan: chronique d'une révélation (1981), a scholarly account of one of the main schools of medieval Taoism; Arthur F. Wright, Buddhism in Chinese History (1959, reprinted 1971), a popular but authoritative survey of Chinese Buddhism as a whole, two chapters of which are devoted to the Six Dynasties period; Kenneth K.S. Chen, Buddhism in China (1964, reprinted 1972), an extensive history of Chinese Buddhism by an eminent specialist; Erik Zürcher, The Buddhist Conquest of China, 2 vol. (1959, reprinted 1972), a detailed, rather technical study of the formation of gentry Buddhism; and Jacques Gernet, Les Aspects économiques du bouddhisme dans la société chinoise du Ve au Xe siècle (1956), an indispensable but rather technical work on the economic functions of the Buddhist monasteries from the 5th to the 10th century.

Sacrament

2005-03-30T23:23:00.000-08:00

The Latin word sacramentum, which etymologically is an ambiguous theological term, was used in Roman law to describe a legal sanction in which a man placed his

Chain

2005-03-30T23:08:00.000-08:00

Also called Gunter's Chain, in surveying, a unit of length. See surveyor's chain.

Spalding, A.g.

2005-03-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

In his youth Spalding pitched and batted right-handed with such authority that the Forest City (Rockford, Ill.) team became well known.

Gambier Islands

2005-03-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

French Îles Gambier, also called Mangareva Islands, southeasternmost extension of the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia in the central South Pacific, nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east-southeast of Tahiti. The principal inhabited group of the Gambiers comprises the volcanic islets Mangareva (Magareva), Taravai, Akamaru, and Aukena. Mangareva, which is 5 miles (8 km) long and encircled by a barrier reef, rises to approximately

Wind Instrument, The Classical period

2005-03-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Classical technique of winds doubling strings emerged in scoring for opera orchestras in the mid-17th century and continued to be important through the next century in the compositions of Haydn and Mozart. (Most 18th-century orchestras included at least four winds, usually two oboes and two horns; by the 1770s, Mozart was writing for double flutes, oboes, and bassoons, a

Judah Ha-levi

2005-03-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

Hebrew in full Yehuda Ben Shemuel ha-Levi Jewish poet and religious philosopher. His works were the culmination of the development of Hebrew poetry within the Arabic cultural sphere. Among his major works are the poems collected in Diwan, the “Zionide” poems celebrating Zion, and the Sefer ha-Kuzari (“Book of the Khazar”), presenting his philosophy of Judaism in dialogue

Health And Disease

2005-03-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

In early 2003 a virulent new infectious disease caught the world off guard. The Chinese Ministry of Health reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in mid-February that 305 people in Guangdong province had developed an acute pneumonia-like illness and that 5 of them had died. Laboratory tests had been negative for influenza viruses, anthrax, plague, and other infectious

Marsh Hawk

2005-03-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Common name for the best-known harrier species. See harrier.

Pendleton

2005-03-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1868) of Umatilla county, northeastern Oregon, U.S., on the Umatilla River, adjacent to the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Situated on the Oregon Trail, it was founded in 1869 by G.W. Bailey and named for George Hunt Pendleton, a prominent Ohio senator. It became a wheat and cattle centre after the arrival of the railroad in 1889 and remains a centre of grain and vegetable production

Sør-trøndelag

2005-03-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Fylke (county), central Norway. It extends from the Swedish border (east) to the coast of the Norwegian Sea (west). The mouth of the deeply indented Trondheim Fjord lies in the northern part of the fylke; parts of the Dovre Mountains are in the south. Adjacent to the Norwegian Sea coast are the large islands of Hitra and Frøya. The fylke's economy is based on fishing and agriculture

Catabolism

2005-03-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Energy is released in three phases. In the first, such large molecules as those of proteins,

Buhturi, Al-

2005-03-23T00:57:00.000-08:00

Al-Buhturi devoted his early poetry, written between the ages of 16 and 19, to his tribe, the Tayyi'. Sometime after 840 he came to the attention of the prominent poet Abu Tammam, who encouraged his panegyrics and brought him to the caliphal capital of Baghdad. Al-Buhturi met with little success there and returned

Davidson, John

2005-03-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

After studying at the University of Edinburgh, Davidson became a teacher, meanwhile writing a number of blank-verse dramas that failed to win recognition. In 1890 he went to London, practiced journalism, and wrote

Phek

2005-03-22T03:15:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Nagaland state, northeastern India, 75 miles (121 km) east of Kohima town. It is a rural town whose inhabitants practice shifting cultivation. Weaving is the important cottage industry. The people of the region belong to different ethnic groups of Mongolian descent; they are referred to as Kirats in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. Pop. (1981) 13,609.

Arabian Religion

2005-03-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

Knowledge of pre-Islamic Arabia rests mainly on original archaeological and epigraphic data from the region itself. Countless pre-Islamic sites are scattered over the whole Arabian Peninsula: ancient lines of circles of raised stones, cairns, graveyards, and so on. In addition there are more recent constructions such as fortified towns and ruins of temples and irrigation

Nafud, An-

2005-03-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

Desert, northern Saudi Arabia, covering about 25,000 square miles (64,000 square km). The reddish, sandy An-Nafud (Arabic: “The Desert”) is sometimes called the Great Nafud; it lies at an elevation of 3,000 feet (900 m) and has some watering places and grass that provide for nomadic herding and agriculture. The desert has been a barrier to travel for ages; its frequent sandstorms shape immense dunes.

Teddington

2005-03-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

Residential area in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames, about 11 miles (18 km) southwest of central London. Teddington is situated on the north bank of the River Thames, and its large lock (1912) marks both the North Sea tidal limit on the Thames and the upstream limit of the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority. The National Physical Laboratory is at

Korfball

2005-03-20T04:13:00.000-08:00

Game similar to netball and basketball, invented in 1901 by an Amsterdam schoolmaster, Nico Broekhuysen. It was first demonstrated in The Netherlands in 1902 and was played on an international level, primarily in Europe, by the 1970s. It was devised as a game for both sexes. A national association was formed in 1903, and the game spread to Belgium, Indonesia, Suriname, Germany, Spain, New Guinea,

Tyumen

2005-03-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Tiumen, or T'umen ', oblast (province), central Russia, occupying an area of 554,100 square miles (1,435,200 square km) in the Ob-Irtysh Basin. In the extreme west the Ural Mountains attain 6,217 feet (1,895 m) in Mount Narodnaya, but the remainder of the oblast's huge area is a low, exceptionally flat plain, with innumerable lakes and very extensive swamps. The oblast stretches from tundra in the north, with its scanty vegetation

Arts, Native American, Gourd rattles

2005-03-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

Agriculture introduced the gourd rattle, which is always shaken by the dancer or singer, never worn. Its shapes and sizes are as varied as those of the squash and gourd, and it is ornamented with ingenuity. The Arizona Papago shaman, sometimes the Iroquois and Cherokee, leaves the stem on as a handle. Usually a wooden handle is inserted, perhaps decorated with beads or

Scandinavian Literature

2005-03-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

The body of writings in the North Germanic group of languages, the modern forms of which include Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, and Faeroese. The literary works written in these languages, though manifesting certain differences reflective of distinct national institutions, exhibit strong similarities stemming from deep-seated common linguistic and

Masham (of Swinton), Samuel Cunliffe Lister, 1st Baron

2005-03-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

In 1838 Samuel and his brother John opened a worsted mill in Manningham. He had worked on a machine to comb wool

Ammannati, Bartolommeo

2005-03-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

Ammannati began his career as a sculptor, carving statues in various Italian cities in the 1530s and '40s. He trained first under Baccio Bandinelli and then under Jacopo Sansovino

Mckay, David O(man)

2005-03-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

He served as a missionary in Scotland (1897–99) and then returned to Utah to become instructor and principal (1899–1908) of the Weber State Academy, now Weber State College. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and in 1950 he

Akiba Ben Joseph

2005-03-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

The subject of numerous popular legends, Akiba is said to have been an illiterate shepherd who

Antarctica, National rivalries and claims

2005-03-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

The early discoveries led to a few controversies not only for territorial claims but also in geographic nomenclature. The struggle for national influence was especially acute in the slender peninsular landmass south of Scotia Sea that became known as O'Higgins Land (Tierra O'Higgins) to Chileans and San Martin Land (Tierra San Martín) to Argentines, named for national

Berceuse

2005-03-14T23:13:00.000-08:00

(French: “lullaby”), musical composition, typically of the 19th century, having the character of a lullaby. While the word appears to imply no particular formal pattern, rocking rhythms in 6/8 time are common not only in the vocal prototype but also in its stylized instrumental counterparts, usually for piano. A well-known example of the latter is Frédéric Chopin's Berceuse,

Christensen, Harold

2005-03-14T01:06:00.000-08:00

Christensen studied dancing with the famous choreographer George Balanchine and appeared with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet (1934), Ballet Caravan (1936–40), San Francisco Opera Ballet (1942), and San

Hinckley And Bosworth

2005-03-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Leicestershire, England. It comprises the town of Hinckley, an important centre of the hosiery industry since framework knitting was introduced there in 1640, as well as the towns of Market Bosworth and Earl Shilton, which is a centre of both the hosiery and footwear industries. The Battle of Bosworth Field was

Mystery Religion

2005-03-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Any of various secret cults of the Greco-Roman world that offered to individuals religious experiences not provided by the official public religions. They originated in tribal ceremonies that were performed by primitive peoples in many parts of the world. Whereas in these tribal communities almost every member of the clan or the village was initiated, initiation

Tskhinvali

2005-03-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cchinvali, formerly (1934–61) Staliniri, city, north-central Georgia, on the Bolshaya Liakhvi River. It is the leading city of an area populated by a Caucasian people known as Ossetians, or Ossetes. Tskhinvali has varied industries, including electrical and mechanical engineering and food-processing and wood-working concerns. It also has a local museum, a teacher-training institute, and a medical school.

Fisher, Bud

2005-03-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

After attending the University of Chicago, Fisher worked as a journalist in San Francisco, where for the San Francisco Chronicle he originated “Mr. Mutt” in 1907. Soon he added Jeff, the short one of the pair and usually the loser in their encounters. Originally a sports cartoonist,

Mêlée

2005-03-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

Also spelled mellay ancient and medieval game, a predecessor of modern football (soccer), in which a round or oval object, usually the inflated bladder of an animal, was kicked, punched, carried, or driven toward a goal. Its origins are not known, but, according to one British tradition, the first ball used was the head of an enemy Dane. The games were played by large numbers of people with few rules

Extermination Camp

2005-03-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

The major camps were in German-occupied

Ursa Major

2005-03-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Also called The Great Bear, in astronomy, a constellation of the Northern Hemisphere, at about 10 hours 40 minutes right ascension (the coordinate on the celestial sphere analogous to longitude on the Earth) and 56° north declination (angular distance north of the celestial equator). It was referred to in the Old Testament (Job 9:9; 38:32) and mentioned by Homer in the Iliad (xviii, 487). The Greeks identified this constellation

Herman, Woody

2005-03-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Herman was a child prodigy who sang and danced in vaudeville at six years of age. Soon after he began playing the saxophone and later the clarinet. Billed as the Boy

Petén

2005-03-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Region of northern Guatemala, bounded on the north and west by Mexico and on the east by Belize. It constitutes more than one-third of the nation's territory. Petén is a low limestone plateau, varying in elevation between 500 and 700 feet (150 and 210 m) above sea level at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula. Except for areas of savanna vegetation, the region is covered by dense tropical rain

Shelepin, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

2005-03-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Shelepin joined the Communist Party in 1940 and rose rapidly in both the party and the Soviet government.

Field Emission

2005-03-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Also called Cold Emission, discharge of electrons from the surface of a material subjected to a strong electric field. In the absence of a strong electric field, an electron must acquire a certain minimum energy, called the work function, to escape through the surface of a given material, which acts as a barrier to electron passage. If the material is placed in an electric circuit that renders

George Ii

2005-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

George Augustus was the only son of the German prince George Louis, elector of Hanover (King

Writing

2005-03-07T23:37:00.000-08:00

This definition highlights the fact that writing is in principle the representation of language rather than a direct representation of thought and the fact that spoken language has a number of levels of structure, including

Gable, Clark

2005-03-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

The only son of an itinerant oil-field worker, Gable embarked on an acting career while in his early 20s

T Tauri Star

2005-03-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of very young stars having a mass approximately equal to that of the Sun. So called after a prototype identified in a bright region of gas and dust known as the Hind's variable nebula, the T Tauri stars are characterized by erratic changes in brightness. They represent an early stage in stellar evolution, having only recently been formed by the rapid gravitational

Arpino

2005-03-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

Arpino originated as a stronghold of the Volsci, who entered the area during the 5th century BC. During the 4th century BC it was held for a time by the Samnites, and it was finally conquered by the Romans in 305 BC, and the Roman general Gaius Marius was

Udmurtiya

2005-03-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

From the republic's highest point, a low (1,080 feet [330 m]) outlier of the Ural Mountains

Maha-sivaratri

2005-03-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: “Great Night of Siva”), the most important sectarian festival of the year for devotees of the Hindu god Siva. The 14th day of the dark half of each lunar month is specially sacred to Siva, but when it occurs in the month of Magha (January-February) and, to a lesser extent, in the month of Phalguna (February-March), it is a day of particular rejoicing. The preceding day the participant

Black Hawk

2005-03-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Indian name Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak leader of a faction of Sauk and Fox Indians. Supported by part of the two tribes, Black Hawk contested the disposition of 50 million acres (20 million hectares) of territory that had supposedly been granted to the United States by tribal spokesmen in 1804. His decision to defy government orders to vacate

Lip Fern

2005-03-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

Ferns of the genus Cheilanthes (family Adiantaceae), about 180 species of tropical and temperate regions. Most are small, sturdy, often evergreen plants that thrive in dry and rocky areas. The leaves arise directly from the rootstocks and are often covered with dense hairs. Spore-bearing structures (sporangia) occur at the ends of veins and are protected by the leaf margins,

Cordilleran Geosyncline

2005-03-03T04:14:00.000-08:00

A linear trough in the Earth's crust in which rocks of Late Precambrian to Mesozoic age (roughly 600 million to 66 million years ago) were deposited along the western coast of North America, from southern Alaska through western Canada and the United States, probably to western Mexico. The eastern boundary of the geosyncline extends from southeastern Alaska along the eastern

Ghezzi, Pier Leone

2005-03-03T03:23:00.000-08:00

Ghezzi made religious paintings for Roman churches but was best known for penned and etched caricatures of Rome's residents and tourists. He often portrayed a single figure with exaggerated anatomy and appropriate eccentricities of clothing and posture. In group portraits he produced

Costa Rica, Ethnic and religious groups

2005-03-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Costa Rica is noted for having the largest percentage of Spanish population in Central America. The Meseta Central, with more than half the nation's population, is the most predominantly Spanish region in both its manner of living and its ancestry. Spanish is spoken with distinctive national accents and usages. In Central America, a Costa Rican is called a Tico, for

Economic Stabilizer

2005-03-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Any of the institutions and practices in an economy that serve to reduce fluctuations in the business cycle through offsetting effects on the amounts of income available for spending (disposable income). The most important automatic stabilizers include unemployment compensation and other transfer payment programs, farm price supports, and family and corporate

Iridescence

2005-03-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

Interference of light either at the surface or in the interior of a material that produces a series of colours as the angle of incidence changes. Best known are the colours seen in precious opal resulting from the interference of light by submicroscopic layers of nearly spherical particles 1,500–3,000 angstroms in diameter that are arranged in a regular pattern. Common opal

Bukovina

2005-02-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

Eastern European territory consisting of a segment of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plain, divided in modern times (after 1947) between Romania and the Soviet Union. Settled by both Ukrainians (Ruthenians) and Romanians (Moldavians), the region became an integral part of the principality of Moldavia in the 14th century. Suceava, in the south of

Cincinnati, University Of

2005-02-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. A comprehensive research and arts university, it offers undergraduate and graduate study in business, applied science, engineering, education, social work, nursing, design, architecture, arts, and sciences. Professional programs are available at the Cincinnati College of Law, the University

France, History Of

2005-02-27T01:31:00.000-08:00

In time, opinion

Anthemion

2005-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Design consisting of a number of radiating petals, developed by the ancient Greeks from the Egyptian and Asiatic form known as the honeysuckle or lotus palmette. The anthemion was used widely by the Greeks and Romans to embellish various parts of ancient buildings. The Greeks originally decorated only pottery with the motif, but they soon adapted it to ornament

Thomas, D.m.

2005-02-26T04:09:00.000-08:00

Thomas served in the British army and then studied at the University of Oxford (B.A., 1958; M.A., 1961). He made his initial reputation as a poet whose subjects range from eroticism to science fiction to his native Cornwall; his later collections,

Biblical Literature, Early theories about the Synoptic problem

2005-02-26T01:42:00.000-08:00

Since the 1780s, Matthew, Mark, and Luke have been referred to as the Synoptic Gospels (from synoptikos, “seen together”). The extensive parallels in structure, content, and wording of Matthew, Mark, and Luke make it even possible to arrange them side by side so that corresponding sections can be seen in parallel columns. John Calvin, the 16th-century Reformer, wrote a commentary

Scharnhorst

2005-02-25T01:24:00.000-08:00

German battle cruiser completed in 1939. It did great damage to Allied shipping in northern waters during World War II before it was sunk by the British battleship “Duke of York” on Dec. 26, 1943. The “Scharnhorst” was a heavily armed ship of 26,000 tons standard displacement, carrying a 1,400 man crew and four aircraft and armed with nine 11-inch, twelve 5.9-inch, and fourteen 4.1-inch guns and sixteen 37-millimetre

Benda, Georg (anton)

2005-02-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

The third son of Jan Jirí Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist František Benda, he went with his family to Berlin in 1742. He played violin in the royal orchestra (1742–49) and for nearly 30 years (from

Dragonfish

2005-02-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

Also called sea moth any of about five species of small marine fishes comprising the family Pegasidae and the order Pegasiformes. Dragonfish are found in warm Indo-Pacific waters. They are small (to about 16 centimetres [6 1/2 inches] long), elongated fish encased in bony rings of armour. The armour is fused on the head and body but not on the tail, which is thus flexible. The pectoral

China, Expulsion of Communists from the KMT

2005-02-23T23:28:00.000-08:00

The climax of the conflict came after Nationalist armies had taken Shanghai and Nanking in March. Nanking was captured on March 23, and the following morning Nationalist troops looted foreign properties, attacked the British, U.S., and Japanese consulates, and killed seven foreigners. In Shanghai a general strike led by Communists aroused fears that Chinese might

Arezzo

2005-02-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

Latin Arretium, city, capital of Arezzo provincia, Toscana (Tuscany) regione of north-central Italy, in a fertile plain near the confluence of the Chiana and Arno rivers southeast of Florence. An important Etruscan city, it was known to the Romans as Arretium and was noted for its red-clay Arretine pottery. A flourishing commune in the Middle Ages, it fell to Florence in 1384 and later became

Linus, Saint

2005-02-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

Pope from about 67 to 76 or 79, who may have been the immediate successor to St. Peter. St. Irenaeus identifies him with the Linus in 2 Timothy 4:21 and writes that “the blessed Apostles passed on the sacred ministry of the episcopacy to Linus.” Although his martyrdom is doubtful, he is among the martyrs named in the canon of the mass.

Lipsius, Richard Adelbert

2005-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

German Protestant theologian who clarified the origin and authorship of early Christian literature, particularly the apocryphal acts of various apostles in his Die Apokryphen, Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden (1883–87; “Apocrypha, Acts, and Legends of the Apostles”). He also investigated the history of the early papacy and held that

Arabian Religion, North Arabia

2005-02-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

North Arabian gods are named for the first time in the annals of the 7th-century BC Assyrian king Esarhaddon, in which he reports having returned to the oasis of Adumatu (Dumat al-Jandal) the idols previously confiscated as war booty by his father, Sennacherib. Among the gods named by Esarhaddon are 'Atarsamain, 'Atarquruma, Nukhay, and Ruldayu. Herodotus wrote that the Arabs

Medicine, Military practice

2005-02-21T04:30:00.000-08:00

The main means of preventing

Byrd, William

2005-02-20T01:53:00.000-08:00

English organist and composer of the Shakespearean age who is best known for his development of the English madrigal. He also wrote virginal and organ music that elevated the English keyboard style.

Maugham, Robin

2005-02-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

The only son of the 1st Viscount, Lord Chancellor Herbert Romer Maugham (whom he succeeded in 1958), Robin Maugham was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He served as an intelligence officer in World War

Maher, Bill

2005-02-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

The title of Politically Incorrect, the often controversial television talk show that nightly featured four outspoken guests from the world of entertainment, arts and letters, and politics, was never more appropriate than when its host, comedian Bill Maher, implied that the terrorists who had attacked the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, were braver than U.S. forces fighting

Chi-nan

2005-02-19T01:21:00.000-08:00

Well watered from natural springs, the area was settled in early times. From the 8th century BC it was the site of Li-hsia, a major

Arundel, Philip Howard, 1st (or 13th) Earl Of, Earl Of Surrey

2005-02-18T02:23:00.000-08:00

Philip was the eldest son of Thomas Howard, 4th duke of Norfolk, executed for high treason in 1572, and of Lady Mary, daughter and heiress of Henry Fitzalan, 12th earl of Arundel. On the death of his maternal grandfather, the 12th earl, in February

Telecommunications Network, Ethernet

2005-02-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

The Ethernet originated as a laboratory project at Xerox Corporation in 1974. It was developed as an inexpensive way of sending information quickly between office machines connected together in a single room or building, but it rapidly became a standard computer interconnection method. The data rate is 10 megabits per second. The original specification required coaxial

Ringgold, Faith

2005-02-17T00:05:00.000-08:00

Ringgold grew up in New York City's Harlem, and while still in high school she decided to be an artist. She attended City College of New York, where she received B.S. (1955) and M.A. (1959) degrees. In the mid-1950s she began teaching art in New York

Kafur, Abu Al-misk

2005-02-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

Kafur was originally a slave belonging to the founder of the Ikshidid dynasty, Muhammad ibn Tughj. Muhammad recognized Kafur's talent, made him tutor to his children, and promoted him to an officer. Kafur showed outstanding military abilities

Amakihi

2005-02-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

(Loxops virens), perhaps the most common native songbird in Hawaii, a member of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family, Drepanididae (order Passeriformes). It is 12 cm (5 inches) long, with yellow body, black eye-mark, and rather short, slightly curved bill. It feeds on insects and small fruits in brushland and forest, and it has mewing and trilling calls.

Performing Arts, Jazz.

2005-02-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

Though no new trends or fads appeared and only one new star emerged, jazz and related musics at last crossed a final frontier in 2002. The jazz idiom, originally created by African Americans, had been played on six continents, but in 2001–02 guitarist Henry Kaiser spent two months in Antarctica, the last continent. Kaiser, with extensive experience playing free improvisations

Macdonald, George

2005-02-15T02:59:00.000-08:00

Novelist of Scottish life, poet, and writer of Christian allegories of man's pilgrimage back to God, who is remembered chiefly, however, for his allegorical fairy stories, which have continued to delight children and their elders. He became a Congregational minister, then a free-lance preacher and lecturer. In 1855 he published

Monmouth

2005-02-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1836) of Warren county, western Illinois, U.S. Established in 1831, it was named to commemorate the American Revolutionary War battle fought at Monmouth, N.J. (June 28, 1778). Its economy has an agricultural base: livestock, corn (maize), processed meats, and pet foods, with some light manufacturing, chiefly pottery. Monmouth College was founded in 1853. Wyatt Earp, the well-known gunfighter,

Biqa', Al-

2005-02-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Bekaa , or Beqaa , classical Coele Syria broad valley of central Lebanon, extending in a northeast-southwest direction for 75 miles (120 km) along the Litani and Orontes rivers, between the Lebanon Mountains to the west and Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. The valley contains nearly half of Lebanon's arable land but is not as intensively farmed as the country's coastal plain because of less rainfall and a wider variation

Azevedo, Aluízio

2005-02-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

Azevedo studied at the school of fine arts of Rio de Janeiro and became a journalist. His works, modeled on the naturalistic novels of Émile Zola and imbued with antislavery, anticlerical,

Astrogeology

2005-02-13T01:45:00.000-08:00

Scientific discipline concerned with the geological aspects of all solid bodies in the solar system, including the major planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets, and meteorites. Astrogeological research extends to those terrestrial features produced by the latter—namely, meteorite craters and tektites (small glassy objects resulting from meteorite

Diagnosis, Percussion

2005-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

Percussion is a diagnostic procedure used to determine the density of a part by tapping the surface with short, sharp blows and evaluating the resulting sounds. In the abdomen it can be used to detect fluid (ascites), a gaseous distention of the intestine as occurs in bowel obstruction, or an enlargement of the liver. It is used most often to evaluate the chest. Percussion

X Club

2005-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Dining clubs were common in gentlemanly society of the time. The X Club met monthly in the London “season” (October to June), from November 1864 until March 1892. Its members were Joseph Dalton Hooker, eminent

Staffordshire Ware

2005-02-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

Lead-glazed earthenware and unglazed or salt-glazed stoneware made in Staffordshire, England, from the 17th century onward. Abundance of local clays and coal gave rise to a concentration of pottery factories that made Staffordshire one of the foremost pottery centres in Europe. Porcelain was first made at Longton Hall c. 1750. Among the distinguished factories located

Aldrin, Edwin Eugene, Jr.

2005-02-11T02:51:00.000-08:00

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. (1951), Aldrin became an air force pilot. He flew 66 combat missions in Korea and later served in West Germany. In 1963 he wrote a dissertation on orbital mechanics to earn his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute

Earth Sciences, Seismology and the structure of the Earth

2005-02-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

Earthquake study was institutionalized in 1880 with the formation of the Seismological Society of Japan under the leadership of the English geologist John Milne. Milne and his associates invented the first accurate seismographs, including the instrument later known as the Milne seismograph. Seismology has revealed much about the structure of the Earth's core,

Ryabushinsky Family

2005-02-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

Mikhayl Y. Ryabushinsky purchased a fabric store in Moscow in 1844 and two years later opened a cloth factory. His sons, Pavel and Vasily

Smith, Hamilton Othanel

2005-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Smith graduated from the

enoa, August

2005-02-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

Introducing the historical novel to Croatian literature, Šenoa contributed to the growing sense of national identity among the Croatian people.

Powell, Michael (latham)

2005-02-09T01:43:00.000-08:00

Powell attended Dulwich College, London (1918–21). He directed his first film, Two Crowded Hours, in 1931. During the 1930s he directed over 20 low-budget, quickly made films before producer Alexander Korda teamed him with Hungarian-born screenwriter Emeric